Well screen



H. E. HANSON Aug. 9, 192.7

WELL S CREEN Filed-May 1e. 1925 lNvENToR #EMV/vea ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 9,-A 1927.

UNITED* STATES l 1,638,731 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. F NEVIS, MINNESOTA.

WELL SCREEN.

VApplication area may is, 1925. serial No. 30,809.

This invention relates to an improvement i in wellscreens of the type forming. the subject matter of my prior patent granted April 24, 1917 ,l l:ft-#1,223,969.

The present mvention aims to provide a well screen of this type which is susceptible 4'of comparatively inexpensive manufacture Y accompanying drawings forming a part of of Figure 2.

` designates the screen this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a view partly -in section and partly in elevation showing constructed -in' accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a view 'in Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section on the line 3,13 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 1s a similar view on the line-.4 4

Referrmg to the drawings, the numeral 1 body which is conwound structedof a' sprlng ora spirali strip of springer resilientmetal.l

volutions of the strip of spring 1l have f rounded inner faces 1a to vthe surrounding portion of the spring screen revent particles of sand from lodging on or etweenthe convolutions. A lower head 2 is provlded and ha's a reduced extension 5 at4 its upper end. In the assembly the lower end of t e spring screen body 1V threads into a spiral `groove provided in the peripher of the lower head 2. The-s ace ibetween t e outer 'periphery of the re uced extension 5 andthe inside of 'body 1 is designated at 6 and constitutes a tra for. the ine "sand which enters the s ring screen bod At the upper end of the spring screen dy an upper sleeve-like head 7 is provided and has a spiral groove in its outer periphery with which the convolutions of the upper end of the spring Figure 1.

screen body' are engageable ias shown in,

a Well screenelevation of the well` screen shown in Figure 1,

- e con-- An inner tubularshell 8 is rovided with- 1n the spring screen body 1 an has its upper end threadedly connected to the lower end of the'upper head 7 as indicated at 9. A.` number of elongated slots 10 are formed in the periphery of the inner shell 8 and permit the water or Huid to enter the interior of the shell from the inside of the spring screen 1. At its lower end the inner .shell 8 is formed with an inturned annular flange 11 on which4 an .out-turned annular ange-12 formed on the upper end of an adjusting rod 13 i s rotatably fitted. `The adjusting rod 13l 1s rotatably and slidably fitted in '.a lengthwise opening 14 provided in the lower head 2. Adjacent its ower end the rod 13 'is exteriorly threaded as indicated at 15, and

with vsuch threaded end a nut 16 coacts. The nut 16 also engages the lower end-of the head 2. The shell 8 prcrvides an inner trap I for the fine sand, and also takes part in thev adjustment of the spring screen body. i A short pipe 20 has its lower end threadedly connected as at-21 with and suitably fixed to the upper end of the head 7. -The upper end of the -pipe 20 'is externally threaded as at 22 to adapt it for connection 4with internal threadson a coupling member connected tothe wellv pipe, or on internal threads on the well pipe 'itself'. Diametrically opposite slots 23 are provided in 'the upper end of the short pipe 20 and are adapted for engagement with lugs or with the jaws of a wrench carried on the lower end ot a suitable rod to-permit of adjust ment ofthe spring screen from above the surface of the ground when the screen is in position inthe well.

In adjusting thespring screen body prior to int'roducinplthe screen 'intothe Well. either ead '7 is manipulated. to cause nut` 16 or. the

the convolutions of the spring screen body` to move nearly together or to bc drawn farther apart in order to provide interstices of proper size between the convolutions of the spring screen body. When the screen is in position in the well and it is considered desirable to elongate or contract the spring screen body in order to change :the size of `the .interstices betwleen the convolutions thereof, a 'suitable rod is lowered down through Ithe well and the lugs or wrench jaws lprovided on the lower endv of, such rod are engaged with the slots 23 of the pipe 20.` In thls way the pipe 20 may be turned tocause the hea-d 7 to be turned. The turn- 4 head I ed, as at 12, to adapt it for connection with Lao Vpulling the screens out of the well.

an internally threaded socket of .a rod adapted to be lowered through the well and engaged' with the flange in this way for Another lpurpose of the rod 13 and nut 16 is to give the desired amount ofrslack when removingthe screen from the well as at suchtime an up and down movement will tend to loosen the screen more easily from the sand. v

A rod is used in connection with ,the fia-nge 12 for raising 0r pulling the screens out of the well only when two or more vrod withl the socket externally lfrom above the screens are used. It will no doubt be obvious that two or more screens may be used by omitting the lower head 2 and rod 13 from tllelupper screen or screens and threading t e screen or screens. ment the additional weight would tend to distort the spiral screen bodies unless a sup` port were provided at the 'lower end. The

flange 12 provides such a support.

It is usually desirable to adjust or set the nut 16 before putting the screen in the well so that any desired slack'may be secured. If, forexample,'the nut 16 is set to allow la one-half inch slack the head 12 will then be one-half inch above the flange of the shell -8 when the screen is in the well due to the engagement of the lower part of the rod 13 wlth the sand. This facilitates the removal of the screen when removal is necessaryl or desirable.

I claim 1. A well screen having a spring screen. body made up of a plurality of convol-utions i and 4means r varying the distances between the convolutions .while the well screen is in the well, and including a head having spiral grooves en ged with certain of sai convolutions, an means fixedly connected with the head and adapted to be turned ground whereby the head 1s turned toadjust the spring screen.

"2. In a well screen, a spring screen body made ug :nner s ell located within the body and spiralspring screen body intohthe convolutions of the up er head 7 of the lower, ith such' an arrange.

threaded Van axial opening,

of a'plurality of convolutions, an.

having its lowerend'closed, the periphery of the shell also being closed except for the provision of slots, a head at the upper end of the spring screen body having an opening threadedly connected with the upper 'open end of the inner' shell, 'a head at the lower end of the spring screen and means for securing the 'shell to said head, the spring screen defining with said head an outer trap for the fine sand, the inner shell defining a separate inner trap for the fine sand escaping the outer trap.

3. A well screen having a spring screen body made up of a plurality of convolutions and means for varying the distance between the convolutions while the well screen is inv the well, and including a head having spiral grooves engaged with certain of said convolutions, and means fixedly connected withthe head and adapted to be turned from above the ground whereby the said head'is turned to adjust the spring screen, said last mentioned means comprising a short pipe 'connected with the head and having slots at itsV upper end adapted for engagement with a.l suitable tool whereby the same may be turned from above the ground.

4. In a well screen, a spring screen body made up of a plurality of convolutions, an upper head for the upper'end of the body having-a spiral groove receiving certain of the convolutions, a lower head having a spiral groove receiving the convolutions at the lower end of the screen body, an -inner shell having its upper end connected to the' upper head, said shell having an inturned fiange at its lower end, a rod adjustably connected to the lower head and having an outturned flange co-acting with the in-i turned flange of the shell, said outturned flange being .threaded and adapted 4to co-act with an internally threaded socket on a suitable rod. v

. 5. In' a wel] screen, a made up of a plurality sleeve-like head for the' body havin certainof t e convolutions of the bodyy are adjustabl fitted,l a lower head connected with the owcr end of the body and having an innershell having its upper end connected to the upper head, said shell having peripheralslots and having an inturned fiange at its lower end, a rod extendiner into the lower end of the shell and through the opening of the lower head, said rod having an out with the inturned flange, said rod bein tatably and slidably and projectingjdownwardly below the same, and a nut threaded on the lower end of the rod and engageable with the lower head.

of convolutions, a upper end ofthe ,peripheral grooves 'in which,

turned fiange engageablespring screen body fitted in the lower ead i 

